Merit badge days are often hosted by local councils, districts, troops, civic groups, fraternities, or chartered organizations and held at a college campus, high school, civic area or during a camporee. Many merit badge days are held once a year, often in the fall, winter, or spring.

The largest merit badge event is the National Jamboree Merit Badge Midway, established at Fort A.P. Hill. Since 1981, this program has been held at each jamboree and is expected to feature hundreds of counselors offering nearly 100 merit badges to thousands of Boy Scouts at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

Overview

A merit badge day let's Scouts learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers. A merit badge day may focus on a single merit badge or a variety of fields that might not normally be available. Observatories, planetariums, parks, museums, ships, colleges, universities, police, and fire departments may offer special events available only to Scouts and only one day each year. Scouts might learn first-hand from dentists, veterinaries, doctors, lawyers, financial planners, engineers, chemists, artists, astronomers, scientists, and other experts.

Many merit badge events also offer training in the skills needed through the First Class Rank as well as adult and youth leader training. Regardless of the setting or content, the goal is to have fun as you learn new skills and gain knowledge.

Often certain requirements must be completed outside of the merit badge day either as preparation or in completing the work with a merit badge counselor back home. A merit badge day might include four 2-hour sessions. Depending on the content, one merit badge might require one, two or all four sessions.

…Group instruction and orientation are encouraged where special facilities and expert personnel make this most practical, or when Scouts are dependent on only a few counselors for assistance. However, this group experience should be followed by attention to each individual candidate's projects and his ability to fulfill all requirements.

In the end, the Scout must be reviewed individually by the counselor to ensure completion of the badges requirements.

…All merit badge counselors, even those who serve only one unit, must be approved by the council and district advancement committee, and counselors must register as a merit badge counselor (see "Qualifications of Counselors" above).

Clause 13. The responsibility for merit badges shall rest with the merit badge counselor approved by the local council and district advancement committee. Merit badge counselors shall be registered adult members of the Boy Scouts of America. The merit badge counselor shall prepare and qualify youth members. There shall be no board of review procedure for merit badges, but public recognition may be given at a unit court of honor or other suitable occasion.

Persons serving as merit badge counselors must be registered as a merit badge counselor with the Boy Scouts of America. They must be men and women of good character, age 18 or older, and recognized as having the skills and education in the subjects for which they are to serve as merit badge counselors, as well as the ability to work with Scout-age boys.

Register merit badge counselors by using the adult leader application. All merit badge counselors must be approved by the council advancement committee. Merit badge counselors are not required to pay a fee if they are only registered as merit badge counselors.

There is no restriction or limit on the number of merit badges an individual may be approved to counsel for, but they must be approved by the committee for each specific merit badge.

All merit badge counselors must be trained in the aims of Scouting and in advancement procedures.

Merit Badge Worksheets

Merit Badge Worksheets allow Merit Badge Counselors to offer group instruction but still test each Scout individually. The counselor can see who is understanding and who will need more time. Worksheets require the Scout to be an active listener not just hearing words but understanding concepts.

Cub Scout Belt Loop Days

There are also many Cub Scout events that are sometimes called Loopapaloza's or Cub-O-Ree's that include games and fun that often naturally cover belt loops. These may be offered at the same time as a merit badge event or as a separate event.

Scouting Magazine Articles

Merit Badges and Five Arrows- South Florida Council's annual college, 900 Scouts earn all or part of more than 2,800 merit badges, while another 400 Scouts work toward First Class in a special advancement program.

Tools of the Trade - A Wisconsin troop's annual Home Improvement Camporee gives Scouts hands-on experience in the building trades while they perform a service project.

Great Times at Merit Badge U - Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity, hosts a day on the University of Texas campus in Austin for Boy Scouts and Venturers to work on merit badges and other outdoor skills.

What a Blast! - Hands-on experience, quality instructors, great facilities, and fun have made this Utah merit badge event a soaring success for 48 years.

Trek Into History - The Henry Ford serves as the ideal vehicle for a weekend of learning and fun for Detroit-area Scouts.

A Garden State First - New Jersey State Police team with five local Scout councils to host 6,100 campers for a first mega-camporee dedicated to learning about law enforcement.

Rendezvous at Ripley - Five Scout councils team with a National Guard facility to host 9,000 campers at a mega camporee filled with history themes, action centers, and merit badge workshops.

A Boost Toward Eagle - A council's special camp helps older Scouts move up the Trail to Eagle by offering instruction in required merit badges - plus a healthy dose of high adventure.

Seeing Beyond Disabilities - A special camporee lets Scouts personally experience the impact of different physical handicaps and also realize that such limitations need not keep a person from living a full life.

Some merit badge days instead state that it is the merit badge counselor who demontrates the skills and knowledge. As long as the Scout was in the room at the same time, they assume that the Scout has mastered the skill as well by watching the counselor.